The Curly Girl Method
by Quietlymischievous
Summary: Sherlock saves the day and John finds out Sherlock is an expert in more than crime-solving.


"No, Daddy! I don't wanna!"

"Pweese stop, Daddy! Ow, that hurts! No!"

Sherlock's heart thudded in his chest as he stormed up the seventeen steps expecting to find Rosie bathed in blood and John trying to set a badly dislocated bone with his own hands. Instead, he found an empty sitting room with no signs of blood or any type of medical emergency for that matter. What he did find was Rosie's favourite hoodie covered in dirt and rust stains. Ah, she had been to the park and sat upon her favourite swing. The right side always left a mark upon her clothes. Maybe he could persuade Mycroft to donate to have the park refurbished. His brother had deep pockets and was always willing to donate to worthy causes. Surely, Rosie's wardrobe would make the cut. Siding his suit jacket off his shoulders and flinging it over the back of John's chair, he made his way through the kitchen and down the hall that echoed Rosie's vehement protestations. "Ow-ow-ow! Pweese stop!"

Sherlock's heart was breaking not only for Rosie's distress but for what must be her father's own for causing her so much pain. Swinging the partially open door aside, Sherlock gasped at what he saw. "Stop, John! You're doing it all wrong."

Rosie's wailing came to an abrupt stop as John dropped the fine-toothed comb with a plop into the bathwater in surprise. "Sherlock! What the f…," John caught himself and cleared his throat. "You scared the daylights out of us!"

Sherlock quickly rolled up his sleeves and bent his lithe frame to kneel beside the tub, knees popping at the effort. "Move aside, John. I said you're doing it all wrong."

"But Sherlock," John protested even as he scrambled out of the way. "She's played in the wind all day and her curls are in knots."

"Yes, I see," Sherlock announced icily, reaching for his high-end hair products and giving Rosie a reassuring look. "Traumatizing Rosie and breaking her hair in the process is hardly going to solve the problem, now is it, poppet?"

Rosie gave him a weak shake of her head as she rubbed at her reddened eyes with two pudgy fists.

"Jesus, Sherlock. You can't use your poncy shampoo on her. She's just a toddler."

Sherlock scooped out a palmful of deliciously, coconut-scented goop. "Pop the lid back on that, would you?" He handed the jar to John. "One is never too young for quality hair products. Naturally curly hair has special needs that must be met. And it's a Co-Wash, not a shampoo."

Rosie eyed Sherlock sceptically but let him apply the goop after sniffing it and deciding is met her approval.

He worked the product through her hair and massaged her scalp with his fingertips, talking all the while. "Curly hair by nature is dry. Care must be taken not to damage the fragile strand. A brush, and especially a fine-toothed comb, should never be applied to dry hair, if ever. Most tangles can be finger-combed out during the washing process or while wet with a wide-toothed comb afterwards. Isn't that right, Rosie?"

Rosie giggled as Sherlock bent forward to kiss her nose. "Remember John, with a co-wash you really have to get in there and massage the scalp thoroughly to get rid of the sebum and sweat. Now, we are ready for a rinse and I've got a great leave-in conditioner that won't leave her hair weighed down or greasy looking."

John chuckled and sat back, watching Sherlock rinse then squeeze the water from his daughter's hair. Finally, he wrapped it in his own favourite sleep t-shirt. Who knew the Great Consulting Detective knew so much about hair?

Later, as Rosie sat munching on an apple and flipped through the pages of her bee book, John slid his arm along the back of the sofa and nudged one of Sherlock's curls at the nape of his neck with his finger. "So, there's a whole process, huh?"

Sherlock closed his book about the collective decision making of honeybees and turned to face John, their knees brushing ever so slightly. "Yes, it's very fascinating. Honeybees, when the hive becomes overcrowded, come together as a whole to make the decision whether to split the hive and move to a…John, why are you laughing? I assure you it's true. If I had not heard the call of The Work, I might have become an apiologist."

John smiled and pushed aside an errant ringlet that threatened to fall over Sherlock's brow. A hair appointment had been sacrificed for The Work twice in the last fortnight. Not that it looked bad, John though. Sherlock had nicely defined, healthy-looking curls, they were just longer than usual. "No, you berk. Your hair. There is a process, hmm?"

Sherlock blinked absently, "Oh, are we back to that. Uhm, yes. There is, as well as a classification system. I am a 2C to 3A, and I think Rosie falls between a 3A to 3B, although I may be wrong. I will have to let Amy, my stylist, make the final diagnosis and devise a care routine to meet Rosie's needs. Hair porosity comes into play there somewhere, but Amy will know what to do. I go with a co-wash every other day followed with a leave-in conditioner and a water-soluble gel. Twice a week I wash with a low-poo shampoo to prevent buildup while avoiding drying out my hair."

"Low-poo shampoo? What the h…What is that?" John brow wrinkled in disgust.

Sherlock pulled out his phone and began typing. "Don't worry. I'm going to send you an invite to the Facebook group. It explains everything. There are even files and albums to help you identify products in the shops that are CGM friendly."

"CMG?" John's phone pinged as Sherlock placed his on the coffee table.

"The Curly Girl Method. Check it out while I go let Billy in with our food order. I hope Angelo didn't forget the Tiramisu."

"I didn't hear the doorbell. Are you sure he's here?"

"I'm sure."

John watched Sherlock until he rounded the turn in the stairs then turned to his daughter that was holding up her half-eaten apple to be disposed of. "Well, Rosie, I never thought I would come to Sherlock for hairstyling tips, but I have to admit his hair always looks amazing."

"Sherwok wooks amaziinnnggg." Rosie cackled as John swung her up in his arms.

John pressed a kiss into Rosie's soft curls and headed to the sink. "Yeah, he does. Let's have a wash before eating. You've got sticky all over your hands."

* * *

AN: I guess you can tell, I am a new inductee into the Curly Girl Method of curl care. It's made a difference in the texture and quality of my curls. I have no doubt Sherlock would be a devout follower. I'm a 3A, maybe even a 3B. What are you?


End file.
